On With The New
by Corvus corone
Summary: Narumi is irritating, Misaki is irritated. Plus there's a new teacher in town - could she be the trigger that finally sets off the bomb? Then add in plant-shop girl, Serina's rants and triple-heart-deluxe-with-25%-extra-sparkle kisses... Narumi/Misaki.
1. a new teacher, wahey!

**On With The New  
**_to all those supporters of Narumi/Misaki, self-inserts and stupid original-female-characters._

**prologue - introduction - tiny little first chapter  
xxx**

"Maybe he likes you," said Kata.

Serina nodded wisely, and sipped her tea.

Misaki stopped mid-sentence and looked at them.

Kata looked mildly confused. The she continued with, "What? Don't you think it's like totally _obvious_?"

XXX

Time for a rewind.

The scene: a nice and normal Monday morning, with the added interest of being the new Chemistry teacher's first day (rumoured to be very attractive and therefore quite exciting to the Middle School boys) as well as the deadline for report writing.

Misaki, being part of the Science department, as well as an organised person who had finished this term's reports, had been asked to show her around.

"Hi! So great to meet you, I'm Takana." said the new teacher enthusiastically. Very enthusiastically. "But you can call me Kata. Please do! You know, it comes from my other nickname Katakana, 'cos my name's like katakana but it's not, it's actually Takana. But Kata's short for katakana. Get it?" She giggled.

Misaki groaned inside. She sounded like a female version of Narumi – actually, make that just a regular version of Narumi.

"Hi," he said, or rather, muttered grumpily. "Do you know where the Chemistry labs are?"

"Nope! Are you meant to be showing them to me? Yes? No? Do I get to meet all the other teachers? Are they nice? How about the children? When's my first lesson? Aren't you, like, _hot_ in that tracksuit? Are you single? Is there any hot gossip I should know about?"

This was not going to be a good day.

XXX

"She is the most annoying person I have ever met in this school," growled Misaki at morning break.

Narumi grinned. "I thought that was me?"

Misaki could imagine the heart on the end of that sentence (every sentence) only too clearly, and winced slightly. "… Yeah, it is you. But I'm making a point here! Have you met her yet?"

"Didn't you introduce me, hmm, ten minutes ago?"

"Did I?"

"I think so."

"Oh, yeah, I did. Don't _you_ find her annoying?"

Narumi considered this for a moment, and thought about Takana Sakamoto. Cropped and shiny black hair, blue eyes, and a Water Alice. Not exactly ugly, and cute in a wide-eyed, innocent way (although he was definitely prettier, thought Narumi smugly). Oh, and a personality that just managed to grate upon every single person she came in contact with.

Mikan would love her.

"… actually, you know, you two would probably get along wonderfully, or at least…" Misaki was saying.

"I think she's… Well, I can see why you'd get annoyed," Narumi interrupted. "Hey, are you going to Central Town today?"

"Maybe in the afternoon. I can't believe she has to teach next door to me for the next twenty years or however long I'm going to stay in this place or however long she-"

Narumi got up, put a reassuring hand on Misaki's shoulder that could easily be mistaken for a suggestively flirty move – completely intentional, of course – and said, "Don't worry about it! I'm sure she's a lovely person!"

"No no no no," said Misaki, shaking his head vigorously.

XXX

Central Town was usually the perfect place to relax after a stressful day of school, teaching or otherwise. The key word, Misaki thought sourly, was "usually". In Alice Academy, the usual _never_ happened. Ever.

The afternoon had started promisingly. He had gone to the gardening store just outside the town centre, and there he had met a rather sweet shop assistant. She had told him she had just arrived at Alice Academy a few weeks ago, and was looking to improve her Japanese (which wasn't actually all _that_ bad, she being a foreigner) as well as her Alice. He had just been about to ask her what her Alice and her name was, and then maybe, hopefully, with some luck, bond over their shared interest of plants.

Or not, as the case may be.

At that exact moment, Narumi had (coincidentally, _obviously_) been passing by and had recognised Misaki through the greenhouse-style windows of 'Plants And More'.

"So, um, yes, my name… er… is An-" started the girl, and then noticed Narumi. "Hey, a thingy! A cus-customy? How do you say it?"

"What?" said Misaki, turning around while the girl talked to herself in some foreign language.

"Good morning – sorry, afternoon!" said An-something in Japanese, waving at Narumi. "Can I help you?"

"Great," muttered Misaki. Narumi beamed.

"I just came in to say hello to Misaki here," said Narumi, blowing him a kiss as well as what could only be described as an imaginary triple-heart-deluxe-with-25%-extra-sparkle attached to it.

"You said hello, now stop being a nuisance and get out!" growled Misaki under his breath as Narumi came closer.

"Sorry? Didn't quite catch that last bit," said Narumi, with a few more imaginary hearts. "My boyfriend gets a bit, you know," he said to the shop assistant with a flamboyant hand wave that almost seemed to match his flamboyantly wavy clothes.

An-something didn't know, but she nodded anyway. "Are you two… uh… together?" she said, wondering how to say "gay" in Japanese.

This was one of those times when Misaki wanted to shoot himself. He was just about to protest very loudly and very violently when a wave of sweet pheromones washed over him, derailing his plan of action.

"Something like that," said Narumi, kissing Misaki on the cheek and dragging him out of the shop. "See you later, An- what was your name again?"

"Um, Angela," said Angela as the door closed. "Damn it!" she said in English, turning around to water the plants. "Why are the hot guys always gay?"

XXX

Narumi managed to keep up his carefully directed pheromones for about a hundred metres before getting bored. Then he waited to see what Misaki's reaction would be, ignoring the more sensible half of his brain which was telling him to run away as fast as possible.

Sure enough, that half turned out to be right.

"What the hell was that for?!" yelled Misaki as soon as he regained his senses. Actually, there were some more profanities than that, but never mind.

Narumi cringed. "I was ju-"

"What was the point in that?!" Misaki continued. "Why do you have to interfere with my life just to have your _fun_?! Can't you see that I actually wanted to talk to that girl in the shop?!"

There might have been a little more of this, but Narumi wasn't around to hear it. He had run away.

Misaki swore very loudly and vehemently, causing the surrounding shoppers to turn and look at him with varying expressions of disgust and amusement.

XXX

"So, like yeah, is there anything else I need to know about teaching at this place then? Any cool secret passages or whatever that only the teachers can see? You know, it is _so_ weird being back here again," said Takana to Serina as they walked down the corridor. Well, Serina was walking. Takana was jogging behind her and trying to keep up.

"No," said Serina wearily. She didn't like talking.

"Who was the Chemistry teacher here before me? What was he like? Did Fujimoto-sensei leave? He taught me here, you know! That's was, like, five whole years ago. Or was it six? Anyway, uh yeah. Totally awesome, that guy."

"Fujimoto-sensei," Serina said pointedly, "was a very quiet man."

"Omigosh, tell me about it! You know, in our lesson he once just sat down, and didn't talk for the _whole lesson_. So weird. And then once-"

Takana, to Serina's relief, was interrupted mid-flow by Misaki storming past them looking as murderous as Serina had ever seen him.

"Is he okay?" said Takana, looking after him and picking up the papers that had fluttered to the floor.

Serina bit back her retort of, "What do you expect; he had to look after you for the whole morning!" and instead said, "I'll go and ask him."

"So totally coming too," said Takana excitedly. Serina closed her eyes and thought happy thoughts.

XXX

"Yo, _dude_," said Takana as she sat down opposite Misaki.

"What?" he snapped.

"What's the matter, Misaki-sensei?" Serina said, coming to sit down with them. She poured herself a cup of tea.

"Just the usual things," Misaki said, looking up. "Narumi decided it might be fun to embarrass me in front of the general public again."

Serina made a mental note to watch that scene in her crystal ball afterwards. For now, she just nodded sympathetically.

"Oooh, what happened?" said Takana, leaning forwards.

"Takana-"

"Call me Kata!"

"Whatever, just, please don't go there," Misaki growled.

"Where? What? All I want to know is why you're so upset!"

"I'm not upset, I'm angry!" said Misaki (with a few more vulgarities than that).

"Same thing," said Kata with some authority. "Isn't it, Yamada-sensei?"

Serina looked at her, and decided not to reply. "Have you tried _telling_ him that you find him irritating?" she said to Misaki, who looked ready to glower a hole in the armchairs.

"Well, _yes_," he said. "Not that he ever _listens_, but I do _try_."

"But what did he do?" said Kata. "Maybe it would help us help you if we knew exactly what happened!" If she had been slightly more honest, she would have said that she just wanted to be in the know with the staff gossip.

"It really doesn't matter," said Misaki. "Seriously, it doesn't."

"But you seem so… annoyed!" Kata said, throwing herself back against the headrest of the armchair.

"Sakamoto-"

"Kata's totally fine."

"Whichever," said Serina, sighing. "Why don't we just leave Misaki-sensei alone for now, and then-"

Naturally, being one of Misaki's more terrible days, another terrible thing happened – Narumi skipped into the staffroom and noticed the group.

Kata sat up and said, "Hi!" with a wave, Serina looked up and inwardly groaned, keeping her face neutral, and Misaki's glower became even more impressive. Narumi tried to remember the new teacher's name, but his thoughts were distracted by the ever-present Plan To Cause Misaki's Suicide (or at least, that was the impression it gave Misaki).

"Hi, guys!" Narumi said. He sounded absolutely delighted. Oh yes, and with the hearts. As usual.

"What did you do to Misaki-sensei?" Kata asked curiously. Misaki got up and tried to stride away in a dramatic cloud of bad temper, but was held back by something holding his hand as well as a familiar mind-clouding scent.

Oh, great.

"Nothing!" said Narumi with an air of wounded innocence, plus an underlying tone of "Try me and I'll do it again" which only Serina and Misaki caught. "What has he been telling you, hmm?"

"That's what I wanted to know, _duh_," Kata replied. She leant back into the armchair.

"Oh, he was probably just been melodramatic, weren't you, darling?" said Narumi, pulling Misaki back. Misaki mouthed something that could have been very rude if it had been heard, and Narumi's grin grew wider.

"Narumi, stop that," Serina said.

"Stop what?" said Narumi.

"Is this what you meant?" said Kata to Misaki with some interest.

"Uh, hey, um, Narumi-sensei?" a voice panted from the doorway. Narumi stopped attempting to molest Misaki and looked around.

"Huh?"

"Um, er, Jinno-sensei sent me to get you… he, er, said you were late for our next lesson? I'm, er, in Middle Class C," said the nervous-looking boy.

Narumi looked back at the group of teachers and briefly wondered if this was all a nefarious plot to get him away from Misaki. Seriously, making _him_ do classes? Where was that substitute with the hair when you needed him?

"I think you should totally teach that class," said Kata. "That boy seems so, you know, _teachable_."

The boy himself looked a little taken aback forward-slash scared by this comment, and backed out of the room. Narumi reluctantly went with him.

Misaki experienced a brief moment of woe as the incredibly attractive person who had just been feeling him up a second ago left the room, and then another moment of angry realisation and shaking his head to try and clear the pheromones out of his system.

"See, _that_ is the reason why I'm so angry!" shouted Misaki after he had finished. "Why that idiot thinks he can just do-"

"Maybe he likes you," suggested Kata.

Serina nodded wisely, and sipped her tea.

Misaki stopped mid-sentence and looked at them.

Kata looked mildly confused. Then she continued with, "What? Don't you think it's like totally _obvious_?"

And here we are.

**TBC.**

XXX

_A/N: So yeah. The prologue/tinylittlefirstchapter to the so-called Epic NaruMisaki Fic Of Awesome, which is not really as epic or as awesome as I would like. Pity. I'm not happy with this at all, but I'm so busy right now that if I pause for editing, this will never get posted. I was originally planning on a oneshot and so the splitting seems rather... disruptive, but now that I've done more than 7000 words and it's not nearly finished... ideas, people? Ideas?  
_

_For anyone who doesn't like OFCs, me included: None of the teachers are loud enough or active enough - apart from Narumi - to give any real triggers or drama. The completely blatant self-insert - plant-shop girl - is because I want to do a completely blatant self-insert once in my life.  
_


	2. tsubasa and misaki h make a cameo

_A/N: No, I wasn't going to post this, originally. I don't feel that this is anywhere near my best or funniest writing, and I'm still iffy about using Kata as a main character. I'm also going off Naru/Misaki (shock! horror! well, just shock then) and so that probably shows._

_But... what's the point of this sitting around on my harddrive, when I spent so much work on it? Even if it's terrible, I'm sure I have plenty of other awesome bits in my other fics to keep up my image._

_So, to everyone who likes Narumi, OCs and slash-_

**another very short chapter  
**_because I fail at anything longer_

Misaki did not think it was totally obvious. The only thing totally obvious to him was the urge to stab Takana (or at least gag her) together with Narumi (who would also need a straitjacket with that gag). Maybe there was some gene for annoyingness. Or at least a secret Alice for it. They could go off and have babies selectively bred for annoyance, who would then probably take over the whole Academy with their intense annoyingness, and then-

"Are you listening, Misaki?" said Serina.

"What!?"

"That's, like, a no?" said Kata.

"No, I was _not_ listening," said Misaki, determined to stay in a Bad Mood. "What did you say?"

"Aren't you taking those pheromone suppressants any more?" said Serina (again).

"Yes," said Misaki.

"Are those things any good?" Kata said, wrinking her nose. "I thought they completely wore off after a few months. That's what I read in this really scientific journal thing."

"You're a chemist, you should know," Misaki said.

"Not Alice-chemistry," said Kata brightly.

"That would explain a lot," said Misaki to himself.

"What, like chemistry?"

Misaki and Serina didn't bother answering.

"Maybe you like _him_," Kata said when no-one said anything.

Misaki looked up in shock. "That doesn't work," he said. "Why would you even _think_ that? I'm not gay!"

Serina also looked up from the dregs of her tea. "That could be a possibility," she said, slightly amused.

"No," said Misaki very firmly. He wasn't quite sure which part of his or Kata's sentence Serina was referring to, but it didn't really matter. 'No' covered every possibility. "I don't know where in hell you got that idea, but NO." He got up, and managed to dramatically storm off in an angry huff without any mishap this time.

"He does _so_ like him," said Kata after he had gone.

XXX

At breakfast the next day, Misaki was still annoyed, and he said so in no uncertain terms. He had also given Narumi a very thorough shouting at last night, so he was hoping that Narumi might have gotten the point.

Narumi did get the point, but it wasn't as if he was going to do anything about it.

Besides, he was sure Misaki liked it really.

Probably.

Maybe.

Well, it was still fun. He beamed.

"What're you smiling at, dumbass?" said Misaki, who had probably just been lecturing him again.

"Nothing," Narumi said quickly.

Misaki looked at him through narrowed eyes and started eating his cereal. "And you know what's really annoying? That Chemistry woman, Kata, thinks _I_ have a crush on _you_. This is _all_ your fault."

"Do you?" said Narumi (curiously? Hopefully? It was hard to tell.).

"No!" said Misaki. "… and how did I know you were going to ask that?" he muttered in an undertone.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did. After all, I _am_ very beautiful… and entertaining… and wonderful in every possible way…"

"That's just arrogant," Misaki said, glaring at his cereal.

"Not when it's true," said Narumi (arrogantly).

"Shut up."

Narumi did shut up, but only because he was hungry and his toast was going cold.

"Great, that Kata woman's coming towards us," said Misaki, glancing at the door. "I'm going to go before I commit suicide from having both of you talking to me."

"Bye!" said Narumi cheerfully.

"Omigosh, you totally like him, don't you!?" said Kata, who had just slid into the newly vacated seat opposite Narumi.

"Huh?" Narumi said, toast in hand.

"I said, Anju, you _so_ totally like him! You do remember me, right? I'm Kata, like katakana. Anyway, I can totally understand. He's kinda cute, isn't he?"

Narumi wasn't quite sure what to do with this woman. Normally, people were so… shy about these kind of things that it was easy to have his fun with them. He didn't really like it when it was the other way round. Also, she had just called him Anju, which was annoying enough in itself. Had someone (Misaki, most probably, in revenge for whatever Narumi had done) told her to call him that just to aggravate him?

"No, I don't," he said, a little more tetchily than usual.

"Oh, come _on_!" Kata said. She rolled her eyes dramatically. "You're all so… _single_ in this place!" She flicked a piece of dark hair out of her eyes and ate some of Narumi's toast.

"Oi," Narumi said automatically in response to the toast-stealing. And also that comment. Misaki was right. Kata really was very annoying. Anyway, what was that sentence even supposed to mean? Huh.

"What?" said Kata through a mouthful of toast.

"I think you should stop sticking your nose into other people's business," said Narumi, letting his annoyance show. "It's amazingly irritating."

"Really?" Kata said. She looked much too wide-eyed and harmless to be believed.

"Yes," said Narumi, scowling.

"Oh, because I never thought of that before. I mean, yes, other people have told me that before, you know, but I don't really think so. I'm just saying. You get it, right?" She shrugged, looking as infuriatingly innocuous as anyone possibly _could_ look, and started filling her water glass from her fingers.

This girl was impossible.

"Well, I think so," said Narumi. He gave her a mini-glare.

"So yeah, anyway, don't you think Serina and Jinno-sensei have something going on? I swear, they're _always_ together. Like, seriously. And you know how you and Misa-"

"Excuse me while I knock you out," Narumi said, having run out of whatever patience he had once had.

"Come again?" Kata said, looking up from the Alice-produced water trickling into the glass.

There were a few moments of confusion, pheromones and irate flirting (if that can be imagined), and then Kata was lying in an unconscious heap on the table. Narumi arranged her arms artistically around the plates, and then left.

XXX

"Narumi, please take responsibility for this," Serina said wearily.

"You were also annoyed with her!" said Narumi.

"Yes, but I didn't knock her out," Serina said in a tone of finality. "Although I do see why you might have done it, you do still have to have some sort of punishment."

"Really…?" Narumi wondered about the consequences of knocking out Serina-sensei as well.

"You would just get a bigger and better punishment later," Serina said.

Narumi sighed, fluttering his eyelashes. "You know me too well."

Serina finished scribbling on the piece of paper in her hand and gave it to Narumi. "You're to cover this half of Sakamoto's classes for the day. Have fun."

XXX

Narumi did not like teaching very much.

"Why are you here then?" said Misaki, looking as grumpy as usual. That was good – it meant that he wasn't _especially_ grumpy. Maybe he had gotten over yesterday's events (which perhaps was not a good thing in the long run for Misaki, as Narumi would then take this as an invitation to do more of it).

"Because… okay, I do _like_ teaching and helping all the children, but I don't like all these _lessons_ and _planning_ and all that stupid stuff," Narumi elaborated. "Is that better?"

"No."

"Oh, but come on… teaching Chemistry to those Middle Class A kids in ten minutes? It's... urgggghhh."

"Still not better. Isn't the Sakura girl in that class?"

"Oh yeah!" said Narumi, brightening up. "I wonder what Mikan thought of Kata?"

"How would I know?" Apart from knowing exactly who Mikan was and trying (and failing) to teach her the rudiments of Biology in science classes, Misaki wasn't particularly interested in her. At least, not in the way that Narumi was.

(Not in that way, perverts.)

"She probably really liked her," said Narumi to himself. "But then again, if she gets along with Hotaru Imai and Natsume… hmm… actually, I think this is Middle A's first Chemistry lesson of the week, isn't it?"

"Naru, if Yuka hadn't existed, would you even be in this Academy right now?"

Narumi opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it again. "Where did that come from?"

"Go and get the hair guy to teach your classes," said Misaki, getting up and leaving.

XXX

"Hi, Narumi-sensei!" said Mikan, hurrying into the classroom. "Am I late? Oh no, I hope I'm not! Am I?"

"No, you're fine," said Narumi, smiling at her. "Is everyone else here?"

"Oh good," said Mikan with relief as the rest of the class rumbled a "yes". Then she remembered what subject Narumi taught. "Is this a Japanese lesson? I thought it was science! Did I bring the wrong textbook _again_?"

"No, but your Chemistry teacher is a little sick today, so I'm taking some of her lessons until she's better," Narumi explained. "Everyone, get out your Chemistry textbooks and turn to page 5. Natsume, do stay in this classroom… unless I take it that you want a kiss?"

Natsume glared daggers – no, poison-tipped barbed javelins – in response to Narumi's suggestive smile, and slouched down at his desk. "Where's the hairy guy?" he muttered. At least then he could've skived off without any hassle.

"He's visiting his parents," said Narumi cheerfully, while also thinking along the same murderous thoughts as Natsume – though maybe not quite so strongly.

"Who's the new teacher?" shouted a boy from the back of the class.

"I heard she's really hot," said another. Narumi couldn't quite see who it was, but it looked like that fox-eyed kid.

"Koko, if you agree with him you are officially dead meat," said Sumire, scowling.

"She's very nice," said Narumi. "And remember to be nice to her when you see her next lesson. Actually… well, just be yourselves."

XXX

Misaki's next lesson was with Senior A. As much as he loved being a teacher, there were some days when he didn't know how anyone could cope with students like these. Of course, he wasn't going to admit it to Narumi. Because then that idiot would say something like, "See! That's exactly what I was saying at lunch!"

"What's the new teacher like?" said Tsubasa.

Misaki sighed. Just because Alice Academy was such a tiny school… even the most unexciting news became practically The Story Of The Century in this place.

"She's… talkative," he said to the class.

"Apparently she's really cool. You know, she went here six or seven years ago… isn't that right?" someone else said. He couldn't see who it was – the plants of Greenhouse B were really in need of some trimming.

"She was here six years ago, yes," said Misaki. "Please get on with your work, and no more silly questions." He sat down at the front desk and tried to look intimidating. (It had always been a mystery to him as to why there was a desk in Greenhouse B, although he had to admit it was quite useful. But we digress.)

Not that that was going to stop them. "That guy from Middle C told me she was kinda hot too," said Tsubasa in a slightly quieter tone as he fiddled with his Petri dishes.

"What, a teacher!?" said Misaki Harada with some surprise.

There was a silence as the girls of the Technical class turned to look at Misaki Harada as one, all wearing the same indignant glares.

"What?" she said.

"Don't ever say that again!" hissed one of the girls. "Just because a person is slightly older than us or is teaching at-"

"Oh right, I forgot I was talking to the Misaki-sensei-fanclub," said Misaki (Harada), turning back to Tsubasa. "How does this guy know, any-"

"Are you even listening to us!?" the leader of the Misaki-sensei-fanclub said.

"Uh… no," said Misaki (Harada). She didn't have much patience with fanclubs. "Besides," she continued airily, "isn't he gay? I always thought he had a thing for Naru."

"I thought it was the other way round," said Tsubasa, frowning.

"You two are impossible!" screeched the fanclub leader. It was at this moment that Misaki (the teacher), who had been half-heartedly eavesdropping on this conversation with a much too familiar sinking feeling in his stomach, finally got up to see who those annoying chatterers were. Then he gave them all a good piece of his mind.

Stupid kids.

**TBC.**

_A/N: I'm semi-leaving fanfiction writing because I am so very busy. I don't want to leave completely, and I don't think I ever will - however sparse my updates and PM replies may be, I'll still be hanging around, leaving reviews on anything Sumire/Koko or slash-like, and generally keeping an eye out for good writers. ^^_


	3. serina rants and woah, there's a party?

_A/N: Yes, I realise that the chapter endings/beginnings are rather stupidly placed. This is not meant to be a chaptered fic. This is meant to be a GIGANTIC ONESHOT. But it's too gigantic for me to write all at once. This part has been in my hard drive for the last three months (or something), and I haven't written a single new word since then._

_dedicated to any birthday girls and boys, anyone else called Angela (or Kata, come to think of it) and any Jinno/Serina shippers out there_  
**chapter three  
XXX **

Misaki was, once again, in a bad mood.

"Are you ever in a good mood?" said Serina. There might have been a trace of exasperation in her voice, but it was hard to tell – Misaki, as well as all the other moaners and whiners in the school, was glad that she seemed to have an almost limitless supply of patience. ('Almost' is an important word. Some people, like Kata and anyone who thought that tea-leaf reading was superior to crystal balls, managed to drain even this generous supply.)

"Yes!" growled Misaki.

"I think you should smile more," Noda said helpfully. He smiled to show his point. "It makes everyone else feel nicer."

"I really don't care," Misaki said. "Serina doesn't smile very much either. Why is this whole school determined to be against me? What kind of messed-up unconscious involuntary signals am I sending? I don't see it at all. Why would anyone even _think_ I have a _crush_ on that idiot?"

"Serina does smile sometimes," Noda said, coming to Serina's defence. "Like last night, when we were watching… oh, whoops. Er, never mind." Noda didn't think it would be a very good thing to tell Misaki that they had been watching his exploits of yesterday in Central Town. Luckily, Misaki didn't seem to have noticed anything suspicious – or even that Noda was speaking.

Misaki didn't say anything. He had moved out of his "generally annoyed at the whole world" phase into the one where he just sat in a corner looking murderous.

"Misaki-sensei, please don't do this," said Serina.

"Do _what_?"

"Sit here and look angry and furious for the rest of the week."

"I _am_ angry and furious!" said Misaki, quite truthfully.

"Do you want a biscuit?" said Noda, attempting to cheer him up.

XXX

Serina had had enough. For one thing, there was the permanent irritation of Kata who Serina suspected had a second Alice, one of Annoyance. Luckily, she had managed to shake that particular reason off onto Noda and Misaki. Another reason was Misaki himself. As much as she could sympathise with his endless embarrassment at the hands of certain other members of staff, there was a limit to how many angry looks and explosions she could take.

She shook her head, sighing. Why couldn't he just, well, _calm down_? Goodness knows how _she_ managed to stay serene and composed each and every day, especially with co-workers like these.

Now, Serina was not for meddling. No, she preferred to watch from the sidelines and wish for world peace. But really, this was getting out of hand. She could not deal with Kata's lack of social skills plus that limpet-like clinginess _and_ Misaki's eternal bad temper at the same time. Clearly, something had to be done.

She found Narumi just as her crystal ball has predicted, on the path to the greenhouses.

"What are you doing?" she said rather abruptly, coming up behind him.

He looked a bit taken aback. "Visiting the… grounds?"

"If you're intending to annoy Misaki-sensei by either stealing yet more beanwhips or seducing him or I don't know what else, I really don't think you should."

Narumi took a moment to process this statement before replying, "But I wasn't!"

Serina put on a tired expression and waited.

"Okay, I might have been thinking of that sort of thing. In passing. Nothing serious!"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

His tone of wounded innocence wasn't exactly convincing. "I am not sure what your motives are, but you should have realised by now that Misaki's reactions aren't the most pleasant of events! Aren't you two meant to be some sort of friends?"

"Er…"

"So why do you insist on causing all these tantrums and bad moods?"

"I'm no-"

"I really don't care about your excuses," she interrupted. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about! On behalf of not only Misaki, but the rest of the school, I'm asking you to stop this nonsense."

"But-"

"Or I will post a complaint about this working environment to the High School Principal. I am sick and tired of you two making fools of yourselves by this constant bickering!"

"What ab-"

"No!" said Serina rather loudly. Narumi was, again, taken aback, and so Serina took the chance to turn around haughtily and walk back to the faculty building.

That felt rather good. She smiled to herself. See, she _was_ assertive.

XXX

"Serina is so unfair," grumbled Narumi to no-one in particular.

"What's she done this time?" said Noda from a far corner of the staff kitchen.

Narumi looked up. "She thinks I'm '_bickering'_ with Misaki-sensei! Actually, I didn't really get what she was saying, but it was something along those lines!"

"Did she really say 'bickering'?" said Noda, laughing. "She's really gotten into this strict schoolteacher thing, hasn't she?"

"Yeah," said Narumi, also smiling.

"Well, are you _bickering_?"

"I," said Narumi with some emphasis on that word, "am just being nice."

"Really," Noda said. There might have been a slight hint of irony in his tone. "Where's the tea?"

"Top cupboard third shelf there's five bags left," said Narumi automatically. "And it's not like it's any of her business anyway…"

"Well, if you get Misaki angry it does affect all of us. So..."

"So…?"

"Any reason why you keep doing it, then?"

"I don't know," Narumi admitted. "But it was fun while it lasted."

"Maybe you should think about it?"

XXX

About a month after Serina's small outburst, things were much more to her liking. Narumi, thank goodness, had indeed decided to follow her wishes and so had mostly stopped with the unwanted flirting and overdosage of pheromones. Misaki, in one of his grumpier moods (Narumi had only _mostly_ stopped), had tipped Kata off about how irritating she was to Serina, and so Kata was now (wisely) leaving her alone.

Speaking of Kata, she had settled in quite nicely too.

"We should have a party for Kata," said Noda, again in the staff kitchen.

"What?" said Narumi.

"A party," repeated Noda. "She's been here for exactly a month, hasn't she? Have I got my times wrong again? She has come to the school, hasn't she?"

"Yes…" Narumi, unlike Noda and Misaki but much like Serina, had not quite taken to Kata. One part of him didn't really like her enough to want to throw a party for her, and another part just liked parties.

"It'll be fun!" said Noda, beaming.

"Sure!" said Narumi. "When?"

"Next week? I have too much to do this weekend, so…"

"I'll think about it," promised Narumi.

XXX

Kata, the person under discussion, was currently in Greenhouse C watering plants with her Alice and generally being helpful. It was strange, but Misaki found himself warming to her. Maybe she wasn't _as_ exasperating as he had first thought.

"So what're you doing this weekend?" she asked. A few sleepy flowers muttered their thanks as she passed.

"… I have no idea." A normal weekend for Misaki involved quite a lot of boredom and not very much else.

"Want to come to Central Town with me? I have _so_ much I need to buy; it's so hard to find time to go shopping in this place… I can't believe I've been here for a month! That's, like, four shopping weekends!"

"Right," said Misaki, not really listening. Something about Central Town. At least she'd gotten off the 'you have a crush on Narumi' train that she had been very loudly riding for the past four weeks.

Speaking of which, Narumi hadn't been riding that train very much either. Definitely a good thing, but the sudden and unexpected change was a little… disconcerting.

XXX

Narumi was bored. When you had lived in the Academy for as long as he had, even the prospect of visiting Central Town or exploring the Technical department's chattering garden or seeing how far one could get into the Middle School without Hii-sama booting you out lost its charm. And as for anything vaguely constructive such as marking homework or planning lessons, well, Narumi had never done anything like that in his life and he wasn't about to start now.

So there was nothing to do. He wondered where Misaki was. Then he remembered that he was probably out in Central Town with Kata like he had said he would be. In all honestly, Narumi did not think Misaki would survive a whole afternoon with Kata stuck to him, but there it was. After debating for a moment about the merits of finding them in the vast expanse of Central Town, knocking out Kata and/or Misaki and thereby gaining some amusement, he remembered that this was the kind of thing Serina (not to mention Misaki) hated.

Maybe he should just wait until they came back. For now, there were still many things to pass the time with. Annoying Serina, teasing Jinno (about Serina, heh), telling the talking plants embarrassing stories about Misaki… that should do for now.

XXX

Meanwhile in Central Town, Misaki had wisely decided on splitting up and so was drifting around by himself. He had just started on the main south road from the town centre when he literally walked into someone quite familiar.

"Sorry! Oh hey, hi!" said the shop assistant from 'Plants and More'.

"Er, hi," said Misaki regaining his balance as well as experiencing a sudden and terrible flashback to what had happened the last time he had seen her.

"Um… how are you?" she said in that very strong accent.

"I'm…" said Misaki. He wasn't really sure what to say next, or what people expected him to say when they asked 'how are you?' because it wasn't as if they expected him to divulge his life problems or bounce around happily saying, "I'm GREAT!". He was also wondering if she was thinking about he was thinking about, i.e. Narumi. Then he realised that she was looking at him with expectation and a little confusion, so he said, "You're Angela, aren't you?"

"Yep! Er… I forgot your name. Is the other… er… person here as well?" she asked, sounding rather apprehensive as well as unsure of Narumi's gender. Misaki could understand why. Narumi tended to have that effect on sensible people.

"Misaki. No. Luckily."

"You two are a couple?"

"No!" said Misaki very quickly. "It was just a very stupid joke."

"Ah. Yes. Um. I do not like speaking Japanese."

"Right." Now what was he supposed to say? Recommend a Language Alice or something?

"Er… so what is your job?"

"I teach at this Academy. Biology."

"Biology was my favourite school subject! You are-"

Angela had been about to say (or at least try to say) something along the lines of "You are a _teacher_ right okay yay I love Biology I studied it at college my Alice is-", but broke off as a flurry of movement apparently appeared from nowhere to stand next to Misaki.

"Misaki! There you are! I was looking for you, like, just now! You want to grab something to eat? I'm _starving_. Am I interrupting something? Hi!" the dark-haired flurry said, the last word directed at Angela.

"Angela, this is Takana. I thought we were meeting at five…"

"It's… half past four. Close enough, right? And call me Kata. Hi!" she said again to Angela, who smiled uncertainly and waved back.

"Maybe I should go," said Misaki to Angela, feeling irritated at the interruption but otherwise relieved that it was Kata with him (a phrase that he never thought he would ever think) and not Narumi again. Still, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to let the two girls in front of him see each other for too long. "Nice meeting you again."

"Come to my shop one day?"

"If I can," said Misaki. With things as they were, the next time he saw her, Persona would probably make a surprise appearance and start killing chickens. Now that would be a spectacle.

"You interested in her?" said Kata as they walked away.

"What? No," Misaki said.

"Yes you _are. _Pity. You and Naru would have made a really cute couple…"

Misaki stopped walking and scowled at her. "I thought I told you to shut up about that!"

"Really? I can't remember, seriously. Are you sure? Is my memory going weird again? I rea-"

"I just don't understand where this is all coming from!" He looked dangerously close to an explosion.

"Come again?"

"This whole me-and-Narumi thing!"

"Oh, _that_! It's totally there. I don't know why you can't see it, to be honest. In any-"

"_What_ is there?"

"It's actually really hard to say… but you have to admit there's something! Like, um, I dunno, well, you're always together for one thing, and-"

"No. "

"You are such a... wet blanket! (I hate that saying, don't you?) Fine! Whatever! Where d'you wanna eat? "

"Anywhere," Misaki grumbled.

XXX

"Hi!" said Narumi, bounding cheerfully into Misaki's room with a loud bang of the door. Misaki looked round and groaned.

"Not very nice," remarked Narumi. He looked for a chair, realised Misaki was sitting on it and threw himself onto Misaki's bed.

"What do you want?"

"I'm bored," Narumi explained. He rearranged a few stray pillow corners into a more comfortable position.

"That's unusual," said Misaki with some sarcasm. "I'm working. Go away."

"It's Sunday evening! You shouldn't be working on the weekend! Where's your sense of fun?!"

"You probably stole all of it," Misaki said, scowling. "And now, with that mention of stealing things, you're probably thinking of Yuka, which leads on to Mikan Sakura, which leads onto Yuka…"

"No I'm not," said Narumi indignantly, trying to hide the fact that he really was. Damn. "_Actually_, I was thinking about Sakamoto and the house-warming party Noda asked me to organise. Hey, how was your shopping trip with her? Fun? Or not? Probably not."

"Er…"

"Did you go to that planty place again? With the cute shop assistant?"

"I-what? No, I didn't! Did Kata tell you about that or something?"

"Uh… she might have mentioned it," said Narumi, opening his eyes and looking at Misaki. "Bit young for you, isn't she?"

"What, Angela?"

"Is that her name? Okay then, yes, her."

"I have no idea how old she is. I don't even know _her_. What exactly is your problem, anyway?"

"What problem? I haven't got a problem. I am _fine_."

"You and Kata can both stop getting on my back about every girl I talk to, then. And what's this about a party for her? Is it for her birthday?"

"So what did Takana say?"

"Is it not a surprise one then?"

"What? No, I meant about Plant Shop Girl."

"Oh." Misaki couldn't actually remember, and again wondered why everyone seemed so interested in his private life, especially when it was about some girl that he wasn't _really _into and that nobody else even knew anyway. "Something about age and language, probably."

"Right..." said Narumi, looking thoughtful. Then he bounced up off the bed and happily found himself too close to Misaki's face. "You're good at organisation, aren't you? Can you help with this party? And hey, what was that about her birthday?"

Misaki took a moment to process this barrage of questions before saying, "Do I have to?"

"Well, you are organised… and you know I hate those kind of things… and you seem to be pretty friendly with her, so yes! You do! For both of us! Or do you need some persuasion...?" Narumi leaned a little closer, the faint scent of pheromones hanging in the air. Misaki moved away quickly.

"… how much organisation do you really need for something like this? All you have to do is ask the kitchens to send up a few drinks. She's going to be 25 next Thursday, so I hope you've got some birthday wishes in that party."

"And to tell people about it! And what?! Noda didn't tell me it was her birthday! Sheesh..."

"Wow. You really do have your work cut out."

"Oh shut up. Come on, just get the organisation stuff done and I'll do the telling people bit," Narumi said, beaming. "And I'll get the Cooking kids to make a cake for her... or do you want to do that? They're probably Technicals, come to think of it. And..."

Misaki got up, pushed Narumi (still talking) out of the room and locked the door.

He could feel a headache coming on. And damn it, he had forgotten to ask about his plants. He had definitely overheard the sunflowers gossiping about him and some embarrassing stories that should never have seen the light of day, and he had just pushed the prime suspect out of the door.

XXX

_A/N again: I just remembered that I had a c2 for Slash/Yaoi/Whateverother_**_stupid_**_wordthereisforhot_**_man_**_on_**_man_**_action, so I went round and put a few more fics in there. Gosh, NatsuLuca is getting rather popular (by GA standards)! If you're into hardcore gay sex (which, sadly enough, you won't find in this fic here because I'm too sweet and cute and innocent for porn), then head over there to look for them. Or just nice fluffy guy/guy fics in general. Obviously._


	4. damn it, will you get together already?

_A/N: Sooo I haven't thought about Narumi/Misaki for the last half year, and suddenly I get a review squeeing about it. I realised that this fic was still unfinished, so I'm now trying a little harder to complete it. I'm even working (a little bit) on the next chapter of the daemon fic. So you see, leaving reviews does have a big effect on the fics! Heh._

_Riiiight. So this chapter is mostly pointless dialogue because damn, I can't think how to continue the story. Next chapter will almost definitely be the last. Please remember that it has been nine months since I last wrote a word of this fic - the last chapter was in limbo for three months before it was put on the site - so if the characterisations are completely off, that's why._

_this is for anyone who still remembers me..._**  
lots of random talking and a little bit of realisation**

"Sorry Yamada-sensei!" gasped Mikan Sakura as she ran into the classroom a few minutes late. Serina sighed and looked at the clock.

"Sakura, I really do not understand why you insist on arriving five minutes late to every one of your lessons. The rest of your class has managed to come at the start of the lesson... well, almost," she added as Koko and Kitsunememe sauntered into the room.

"Sorry," they muttered as they sat down. Serina sighed again.

"The next time anyone arrive more than two minutes late, detention," she said sternly before turning to the blackboard and writing the phrase, "The Perfect Tense - Part Participles" in English on the board. Mikan was whispering fiercely to Hotaru about why exactly she had been late this time, not noticing that Natsume was systematically burning her left pigtail.

"Natsume Hyuuga and Mikan Sakura, please look at me during the lesson!" Serina said. "What exactly is the matter?"

Natsume grunted and Mikan said, "Nothing!"

"She was worrying about Sakamoto-sensei's birthday party," said Koko helpfully. "Which Narumi told her about. Apparently all the teachers have been organising a surprise party." From beside him, Serina distinctly heard Sumire Shouda hiss, "No-one asked you, you idiot!"

"Do I have to get her a present?" said Mikan with worry.

Serina was a little taken aback. It was that girl's _birthday_? Well, no-one had told her about any party. Or any organisation. "... I don't think so. Unless you want to make it a class project." That was another thing she'd have to ask Narumi about... speaking of which, that one seemed to be avoiding her. She hadn't seen him since that incident a few days ago.

"Oh okay!" Mikan said, brightening up. "I love class projects!"

"Later, please." Serina decided to make a start on the lesson.

XXX

"So Mikan wants her class to make a class present for Kata and I've told everyone she knows about it... except Serina," said Narumi. By some amusing twist of fate, this happened to be the exact moment that Serina chose to enter the room.

Noda chucked and Narumi turned in his armchair to see what he was looking at. "Oh, uh, hi Serina!" he said. "Er… I was just going to look for you!"

"Is this about Mikan and Sakamoto's birthday?" Serina said. "I was wondering when you might like to tell me, seeing as Kokoroyomi in her class thinks that 'all the teachers' know about it."

"Ah... yes. Well. I was _going_ to tell you," said Narumi.

"He's avoiding you," Noda added in a helpful tone.

"Stop being so immature, Narumi," said Serina - rather harshly, thought Noda.

Narumi was very much taken aback. "What?"

"Just because I was angry at you a week ago is no reason to be avoiding me like an irresponsible child now! When are you going to _grow up_ and just face your problems like you should?"

Narumi was even more taken aback. He was going to say, "This is exactly why I'm avoiding you, stressy," and then run away, but then a look from Noda told him that that would probably not be a good idea.

"I am not avoiding you," he said weakly.

"Shut up," Serina replied. She sat down in the other armchair. "Running away from problems is never the solution."

"Are you alright?" said Noda to her while Narumi protested with, "I don't have problems!"

"I'm fine," she said, waving them both off. Just the usual irritations of Elementary Class A… "But please tell me that Sakamoto is otherwise engaged and not likely to be in contact with me anytime soon…"

"I think she's helping Misaki with the plants again," Narumi said. "They are together a lot, aren't they? What's up with that?"

"Er… are they? When is the party, anyway?" said Noda.

"This Saturday at seven."

"Do you even _like_ Sakamoto?" said Serina to Narumi. The others couldn't quite tell if she was being slightly nasty or slightly confused.

"To be honest, not really," Narumi admitted, after looking round and making sure that there were no eavesdroppers. "She gets on my nerves."

"I don't really see why you two find her annoying," said Noda. "I think she's very nice, really."

"In an annoying way."

"Maybe at first, but really, you're just as… 'in-your-face' as she is!" replied Noda.

"But I at least annoy people with humour and fun! Not whatever she does!"

"Or maybe - you're jealous that she's doing all the Misaki's-best-friend duties while you're not," said Serina.

"Am not," said Narumi automatically.

"Naru, everyone can see that you're still sulking about the fact that Misaki actually has someone else he might consider a good friend! In my opinion, with the way you've treated him, the real mystery is why you think you should be the only person for that role!" said Serina.

"Which way I treated him?" Narumi said, bristling. "If this is about what happened in scho-"

"Stop it, both of you," said Noda. "This isn't helping."

"Helping _what_?" said Narumi. "I'm not sulking, jealous or '_bickering'_ and my dislike of Kata has nothing whatsoever to do with Misaki! I just don't get along with her."

"Neither do I," said Serina, "but at least I know why."

XXX

To be quite truthful, thought Narumi later, maybe that was a good reason. She _was_ spending a lot of time with Misaki. And it was only natural, that after twenty years or so of being Misaki's definite best friend – or as much of a best friend as that went – that he was a little irritated.

Not to mention the fact that Kata really was genuinely irritating.

Anyway, what was all that with Serina? Why did she always seem annoyed with _him_? She was the one who had shouted at him. Honestly.

Face your problems, huh?

Narumi adamantly denied the existence of such problems. However, recent events had not all been to his taste – for example the whole thing with plant-shop-girl that irritated him to no end for no particular reason (but presumably the same thing with Kata). And he wasn't quite sure why (but again, blaming it on Kata was a safe thing to do), but there was some new distance between him and Misaki. It wasn't just because of Serina's angry little lecture a month ago, or even the fact that Kata had replaced him just that little bit as Misaki's new best friend; there was something else, something that hung in the air between them sometimes and whacked around Narumi's head with confusion.

He was interrupted in the midst of these thoughts by Kata walking in and saying, "Oh hi Naru! The cacti in the staffroom just told me that you don't like me!"

"I-what?"

"You know, in there." She gestured towards the staffroom that, yes, Narumi had just expressed such an opinion inside. Damn it! He had forgotten about that talking cactus. (See, it was all Misaki's fault. Still, he had managed to avenge the last time he had been eavesdropped on - those sunflowers would never see Misaki in the same light again.)

"Oh. Er. I'm sorry."

"Really? Oh great, thank you! But why don't you like me? Just out of interest, you know?" she asked in a rather more positive tone than Narumi would have expected. (Perhaps she had just heard this opinion too much to be affected by it.)

"… no reason." Because he really couldn't place his finger on why, and even if it was to do with jealously over Misaki, he wasn't about to say that to her face.

Kata frowned. "That's not very nice... Come on, tell me! Is it my voice? My clothes? No, I know, my shoes! How about my Alice?"

"Right," said Narumi, wondering what kind of person could be so happy in the face of behind-her-back-bitching as well as why exactly he didn't like her, and why exactly he didn't _know_ that reason. "No. More like a general vibe."

"Ooh, interesting!" said Kata as she rummaged around the staff kitchen cupboards. "You know, it's my birthday on Thursday. Did I tell you? I remember telling Misaki, but I forgot if I told him to tell you or if I told you myself or if-"

"Noda told me."

"Cool!" By this time she had managed to find the biscuit packet and was munching on a chocolate chip cookie. Narumi decided to take the opportunity to escape.

XXX

Serina and Noda, meanwhile, were still sitting in the staffroom and spying on various people through Serina's crystal ball. It was quite entertaining, really, though perhaps the activities and pranks of the Senior Boys were more on the disturbing side than the amusing one.

Anyway.

Serina was tiring, having overspent her Alice a little, so Noda decided to call it a day and let her rest. (His curiosity about the Senior Principal's lunch habits would have to be sated tomorrow.) They sat back in the armchairs, equally stumped on what to say next. After-school hours did get a bit boring.

"So... what's going on between you and Jinno?" said Noda after a minute of silence.

Serina gave him a look that was tired and withering at the same time. "None of your business."

"Serina, we _are_ friends! Come on, you can tell me," Noda said, smiling. "There _is_ something going on, isn't there?"

"Respect your sempais," said Serina. There might have been a hint of an amused tongue-in-cheek tone but Noda wasn't quite sure. In any case-

"Well, we're both adults now. I think we can move past the sempai thing now!"

"That doesn't change the fact that it is _none of your business_."

"Fine!" said Noda, throwing up his hands in mock-exasperation. "How about Narumi and Misaki?"

Serina frowned slightly. "I'm not sure."

"What do you mean by that? _Is_ there something going on with them two? I _knew_ it." (Noda had seen too many strange things in the past, present and future to be even a little phased by the prospect of two of his colleagues being in a gay relationship – well, if Narumi was even a man, that is.)

"I think," said Serina slowly, "that they are both as confused as we are."

XXX

"Misaki," said Narumi in what could have been his most disturbingly flirty tone yet, "I've noticed that we're not really hanging out as much anymore. Do you want to go to Central Town together to get a present for Sakamoto-sensei?"

"When have we ever 'hung out' together?" said Misaki, not looking very impressed.

"Oh, you know," said Narumi. "Whenever. Before."

"What?"

"Anyway, you aren't busy now, are you? Do you want to go this afternoon?"

"No," said Misaki. "As much as I'd love to be embarrassed in front of every shopgirl in the town, I've already got a present. Also, Kata's asked me to show her some gardening techniques this afternoon. I _am_ busy."

Narumi was about to say something very rude about exactly what techniques he could show Kata, but quickly remembered that he was trying to be a Nice Person these days. "You're always doing something with Kata! I can't believe you're completely blowing me off to show her how to use a watering can."

Only Narumi could make the phrase "blowing me off" into a whiny insult and a horrible pick-up line at the same time, thought Misaki. "I'm not completely blowing you off. I'm saying that I'm busy _this afternoon_. And I'm not always doing something with Kata, so stop whining about her."

"You do spend a lot of time with her!" said Narumi indignantly. "It's like we never talk anymore! What, are you two _together_ now or something?"

"What? Where did that come from? And when did we talk _before_?"

Narumi shrugged, looking rebellious. "Just a thought. I can't see why you put up with her otherwise. Well?"

"No! I can't see why I put up with _you_, to be honest."

"Really?"

"You know what's stupid? She's – no, wait, she and _the rest of this school_ is – constantly on about _us_ being together," muttered Misaki. "The irony is killing me."

"Well..." said Narumi, cheering up immensely for reasons unknown and moving a little closer to Misaki's chair. He put a hand on his shoulder. "That can be arranged, can't it?"

"No! I can't believe this," fumed Misaki, pushing him away. "Just go away. Now."

Narumi beamed and practically skipped out of the room. Annoying Misaki was fun.

XXX

"Hey guys," said Kata through a mouthful of chocolate-chip cookie. "What're you talking about?"

"Nothing," said Serina, wondering how rude it would be if she got up and went to bed right now. Noda looked up.

"Oh... really? It sounded fun from next door!"

"Do _you_ think that there's something actually going on between Naru and Misaki yet?" said Noda. Serina gave him a small glare.

"Hmm," said Kata, considering the situation and weighing it up in her head. "Well yeah, duh. But I think that they're obviously both simply refusing to realise it. Maybe. Do you think? Because it's totally and utterly meant to happen! I can't believe how slow they're being! Argh! Haven't they been flirting for, like, forever? If this was a yaoi manga, they'd be havin-"

"Yes, yes, quite," interrupted Serina. "Sit down, Sakamoto-sensei..."

"Maybe we should just tell them to get on with the story," said Kata, calming down a little.

"Haven't you already? Many times?" said Noda.

"They probably just need a clearer message," she said firmly. "Anyway, never mind about that, my birthday's tomorrow! Yay!"

"Wonderful," said Serina wearily, and got up.

XXX


	5. the awkwardly unromantic ending

_A/N: I honestly can't understand the whole idea of romance, hence awkwardly weird kiss scenes and a lot more random Kata dialogue than actual Narumisaki action. Sorry..._

_But zomg it's FINISHED._

_dedicated to you. yes, you. anyone and everyone reading this,_  
**the very last bit**

"Happy birthday, Sakamoto-sensei!" said Mikan, presenting her with a large card and an even larger cake. She had single-handedly rounded up her class into producing them, because even though everyone else didn't seem to share her enthusiasm, Sakamoto-sensei was becoming one of her favourite teachers. She didn't even tell her off when she forgot her Science textbook!

Kata beamed. "Oh wow, thank you! This is _so_ cool. And, like, wow. That is one large cake. How did you manage to carry it in here?"

"I got everyone to help out," said Mikan proudly. "Do you want us to carry it into the staffroom for you?"

"Ooh, that would be great! Could you? Actually, no, wait, we need to have the lesson first. Then I can recruit you into being cake-bearers. This is _so_ cool!" she said again.

"Yay," said Natsume from the back of the classroom.

XXX

"Are you alright?" said Noda. "You've been sitting in that chair for the last two hours without moving."

"Huh what?" said Narumi, turning his head. "Oh. I'm fine."

"Really?"

"... yes," Narumi said seemingly after giving it a lot of thought. "I think I've just worked something out."

"Alright," said Noda slowly. "And wh-"

They were more than a little surprised to see the table-sized cake manoeuvring itself through the door and into the room with Kata directing its movements. Once it had been safely set down on the table, the students underneath were all quickly hugged before they were sent out. Kata sat down on a chair and stared at it.

"How many calories do you think this has? Safe for a one-night splurge? Yes? No?" she said, poking it. "And how many people would be needed to finish it?"

Noda walked around and looked. Narumi stayed in his chair and resumed staring at the pot plant in front of him and muttering sporadically about "idiot Yuka" and other things.

The sheer size of the cake rendered Noda speechless for a few moments before he opened his mouth and said, "... did you make the students walk all the way from the Middle School building?"

"They volunteered!" said Kata. "Mikan Sakura is a really wonderful pupil! And I gave them a piece each. So not only did they transport it, now I also know that it's definitely not poisonous!" She gestured at a slightly dented section. "Not that you can really tell that they had any, since this cake is so amazingly gigantic anyway... isn't this like so great?"

"Do you think it's cake all the way through?" said Noda.

Kata poked it with a chopstick lying on a nearby table. "It's definitely cakey up to there," she said. "But that could just be like a surface layer."

"Unless you've invited the whole of Central Town to a cake-eating festival, I don't think this is physically possible to finish," said Jinno, who had just walked in and was eying the cake dubiously.

"And I have!" said Kata proudly.

"... pardon?" said Jinno. He had been avoiding any chances of talking to the new teacher for the last few months due to a warning from Serina, and was now wondering if he should just get out now and not find out how true Serina's description was.

"Last time I went to Central Town – that was yesterday afternoon, I think, because I remember I was going to try doing some fancy water stuff with Misaki, only I didn't because he blew me off to do I don't know what, so I went down to the Town and bought a new rubber duck and the new volume of One Piece and a few coat hangers and... oh, I forgot. But there was definitely a pair of new tights from the big department store that I totally love in there too! So yeah, I went round every single shop and bank and hairdresser and donkey-rider and asked them all to come! Half of them said that they were busy and quite a lot just looked at me really weirdly as if they had never heard of a birthday party before, but I expect a few will come. There was that guy with the purple hair down at the second hairdressers on the third street left when you come in that said he loved cake, so I'm sure he can manage quite a lot, and that girl in the garden store just on the road with the nice hairclips – that's the accessory shop, not the girl - said that she's definitely coming and that she hasn't eaten since last Monday so that's good for cake-stuffing, and omigosh right, the secretary at the swimming pool down the same road said that she'd tell all her friends who were off sick that day and... yeah! Great, isn't it?"

Jinno was momentarily stunned by this very fast and very confusing monologue, and could only manage a, "Good," in reply. He quickly picked up his books and left the room before he could be tempted any more to electrocute her.

"And then I told the manager of the hamster-training ranch that he was welcome to bring his girlfriend along, as long as she didn't bring her two guinea pigs because there really isn't going to be that much space, and he said okay that's fi-"

"Wait," said Noda. "What did you invite these people to?"

"My party, of course!" said Kata, looking a bit confused. "Tonight? My twenty-fifth birthday?"

"Party?"

"Oh, come on, I totally overheard you guys planning a surprise party for tonight. I'm not _stupid_, you know!"

"Well, it was _meant_ to be a surprise," said Noda, sighing and looking at Narumi. "Oh well. Is seven o'clock alright?"

"That's what I said to everyone in Central Town," said Kata. "I can't wait!" She squealed with excitement.

XXX

Misaki was a bit annoyed. Somehow, and he thought he had a good idea of the suspects behind this, quite a few of his classes had got it into their heads that he was in a relationship with Someone and they needed to find out who the Someone was _or else_. About half of them were arguing vehemently that it was most definitely Sakamoto, and the other half were fighting back with retorts that it was most definitely Narumi. A couple of others left over were saying how they had heard it from Sakamoto-sensei herself that he was dating a Chinese or English or Icelandic tourist from Central Town. The class – except for the few girls that were more depressed about this gossip than interested in their competition – did not seem very impressed when Misaki angrily and loudly told them that no, there is no Someone, and you should all be working because _this is a lesson_.

"This is all your fault," he all but growled at Narumi when he came in.

"What is?"

"The only thing worse than having stupid rumours spread about you is having _two_ stupid rumours spread about you!"

Narumi beamed. "Well... you did say that all these people saying that you and I are together were getting _very_ irritating, so think of it as arguing back?"

"The proper argument is 'no-one', not 'Kata Sakamoto'," said Misaki, glaring.

"That's what you say," said Narumi, shrugging cheerfully and looking smug. "Still, aren't rumours fun? You know, as I was walking back here, I could have sworn that I heard Takana telling one of the middle school kids something like, 'No, of course not! I think he really _likes_ Narumi-sensei, didn't you know?'"

"And I suppose you didn't bother to correct her." This was really not helping Misaki's mood.

"Yes I did! Well. While she was saying that, I told the girl's friend that no, of course I wasn't going out with you, I think you _really_ liked Sakamoto-sensei, didn't she know?"

"I can't believe this," said Misaki.

"So you would rather have a rumour about me than about Takana?"

"I would rather have _neither_. Morons."

"But now you're moaning that having a rumour about Takana is worse than when it was just us, aren't you? Yes you are. See?"

"I don't know where you got that from, but no."

"Which obviously means that you think us being together is more true or more likely or both, because then you wouldn't really mind having a rumour about it... right?"

Misaki looked at him. "What? You're not making any sense."

"Er... no, I guess not," said Narumi. "Hey." There was a pause. "Sorry for torturing you these last few months; I just think, maybe, that I like you. See? No pheromones." There wasn't even a virtual heart on the end of this sentence, which made it all the stranger to Misaki's ears.

Misaki stared. "Is this some sort of twisted love confession or something? Because I've had enough of these stupid pranks. Understand?"

"Okay," said Narumi, seemingly unfazed and strangely compliant. "Anyway, we should probably get down to the party, since I don't want my careful organisation to be completely ruined before I see it..."

"What do you mean, _your_ careful organisation?" said Misaki, still confused.

"Yours, mine, same thing! Shall we go?" He took Misaki's hand and pulled him out of his room.

"Eek!" said a strange voice.

"Huh?" said Narumi, looking around with a slightly puzzled expression on his face.

"Eek!" said the strange voice again before crossly saying something in a foreign language. A familiar-looking girl stepped out of the shadows and glared at the small map in her hand.

"Oh!" said Narumi, recognising her. "Misaki!"

"What?" said Misaki, who was behind Narumi and couldn't see her.

"Oh!" said the girl. That syllable sounded like an exact echo of Narumi, scarily enough. "Um, hi! You're biology teacher Misaki in the shop? This is cool." She smiled. "Do you know where the, uh, party is? I'm lost."

"Hi," said Misaki. He frantically shook off Narumi's hand. The girl – Angela? – had changed out of the boyish hoodie that she had been wearing the other two times he had seen her as well as brushing her hair, and the difference was quite... remarkable. "It's downstairs, to the left. We're – I'm – just going down there."

"Nice to see you again," said Narumi, reaching out for Misaki's hand again and ignoring his protests. "Just follow us."

What was more annoying than weird rumours, thought Misaki as he was dragged down the corridor furiously trying to prise his hand out of Narumi's as well as not look too stupid in front of the visitor, was that either these kids were getting to his head or Narumi's pheromones had actually permanently infused themselves into Misaki's brain because really, if there was anyone that he should be thinking about right now it should be the foreign girl staring at her map in confusion and most definitely not Narumi. Even if she did think that he was gay. Even if Narumi had just made some sort of strangely un-flamboyant declaration of adoration or whatever that was.

Not gay. Really. Damn it.

XXX

Kata was proposing yet another rambling toast, Serina was talking calmly with the plant shop girl in English with Jinno appearing to be standing guard over them, Noda was regaling most of the other Central Town visitors (and there were a _lot_ of them) with tall tales of the past and Misaki was pretty sure that his stomach could not physically hold more cake. That Umenomiya girl was insane; that was the only answer. The other question was, how did someone bake a cake this enormous?

He was interrupted in the middle of pondering these cakey mysteries by Kata loudly pushing through the crowd with Narumi being dragged behind her. She'd obviously finished the toast.

"Right!" she said, her tone a mixture of the resolute and the delighted. "I am going to make sure this ends properly!"

"What ends properly?" said Narumi, looking almost as confused as Misaki felt.

"This!" announced Kata. "You two are going to kiss now because I say so (and it's not just because I've had three glasses of wine) and because this is just getting annoying!"

"What?" said Misaki, scowling very deeply.

"Sounds fun," said Narumi cheerfully.

"I'm going to stand here until you do it! And then I'm going to talk, and I won't stop, and I know you don't like me talking a lot Naru, but I will!"

Narumi shrugged (cheerfully) and in one smooth movement pulled Misaki towards him and kissed him on the lips. Quite deeply, too. Misaki spluttered a bit.

"Okay," said Kata dubiously. "Fine. Now, we talk it out, since you two are obviously like a total fail when it comes to couple stuff! Let me show you. Okay. Go!"

Misaki glared at Narumi, who said, "Oh come on, and there weren't even any pheromones in that. Isn't that better than usual?"

"... is it?"

Narumi considered it. "Probably! Oh look, everyone's staring at us;" - and indeed they were. Kata shrugged and took a long sip of her champagne.

"Just keep going. Naru, you'd better confess your eternal love right now or I might have to dunk your face in this cake here."

"Okay, okay, slow down!" said Narumi. "Misaki, we're going."

"What?" he said, following Narumi out of the crowded room anyway and ignoring Kata's shout of "Hey! Come back here! Oh... forget it.".

"I'm not sure how to say this, really," said Narumi a little thoughtfully once they were out of earshot, "but all that stuff before to annoy you – it wasn't _all_ to annoy you."

"That makes... perfect sense." It was not so much what Narumi was _saying_ that confused him, it was the fact that was a distinct lack of pink hearts floating around it.

"It does! I think... well, you've always been here for me, and I didn't really realise it before, but I _was_ jealous that Kata and that girl talking to Serina took up your attention, and not just in a 'just friends' way. More sense?"

"What, in a Yuka sort of way?"

"Er... yes. Probably. It's a bit hard to tell," said Narumi. "I just thought I'd tell you properly, okay?"

Misaki scowled. "You are the most annoying person I've ever met and I honestly hate you. Bu-"

"Omigosh will you two just get it together already!" shrieked Kata, stomping up towards them. Misaki winced. "If having a caked face isn't enough, I'll give you both an impromptu cold shower like NOW and I swear to my Water Alice that I will not stop talking or hosing you down until you like totally just do so-"

Misaki hit her. Then he kissed Narumi, because he was sure Kata was soon start up again if he didn't do something drastic to prevent it, and because Narumi was just slightly attractive in the half-light of the dark corridor and damn it, he did kind of like him. Just a little. He could Narumi grinning against his lips and pulled away before it got too embarrassing.

"Better," said Kata, pursing her own lips and looking at them critically. Then she threw up her hands in exasperation. "Never mind! Enjoy the rest of the party!" she called over her shoulder as she walked back into the staffroom.

THE END. GO PARTY.

_Thank you to the couple of people who ended up reading this whole thing, and isn't it ironic how my last(ish) GA fic is on the same topic as my first?_


End file.
